Can opener



Feb. 19, 1929.

S. B. COOKE u CAN OPENER Filed Maron 1o,- 1927 lmwmtoz 9 Sazoff Patented Feb. k19, 1929.

`uniTED@ STATES 1,702,462 PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. COOKE, F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CAN OPENER.

Application ned lMarch 1o, 1927. seran No. 174,283. b I

This invention relates to can openers and has for an important objcct'thereof the provision of a device of this characterr capable of use with cans of varying sizes and which includes means whereby the knife and can are held in fixed relation to one another withvout the application of force by the user.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of this character having a construction such that the perforation of the can by the'blade is greatly facilitated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and cheaply produced and which will be durable and efficient in service.

These and other obj ec ts I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, ywherein for the purpose of'illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can opener constructed in accordance with my invention, a can being indicated in dotted position thereon;

view there- Figure 2 is a verticalsectional through, a can likewise being shown in dotted position;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral indicates a standard having at its upper and lower ends flanges 11 and 12. Thelange 12 has its free end reverted at 13 and the end of the revert has a downwardly deflected portion 11i abutting the flange 12 in spaced relation to ther standard. The space between the adjacent faces of the downwardly deflected portion 11i is adapted to receive the rim Ref a can and the revert acts to prevent outward Vmovement of the rim from the standard 10. The flange 11 merely forms a limit, preventing separation from the standard of the mechanism hereinafter described.

Slidable upon the standard 10 is a yoke 15, the end walls 16 of which fit closely against the side edges of the standard. This standard has an extension 17 to which, at a point adjacent the free end,-a handle 18 is pivotally connected and the end of the handle 18 is folded upon itself, as at 19, to increase the size of the hand grip provided therefor. This handle has secured thereto a blade 2O which, when the handle is horizontally disposed, lapproximately aligns with the standard. The forward edge 21 of this blade or that edge next. adjacent the pivot 21, by which the handie 1s secured to thefext'ension 17, is sharpened, as is the bottom edge 22 thereof.` This bottom edge connects with the forward edge 1n a manner providing a piercing point 23. The end of the handle 18 which is connected tothe pivot 21 is extended slightly beyond tom rim is held between the standard and the revert 13, as -hereinbefore described. The

voke and handle are then slid downwardly,

the handle being at an angle to the yoke, as

indicated in Figure 1. lVith the yoke adjacent the top of the can, the hand grip 19 is forced downwardly. At this time, the point 23 will act as aI pivot upon which the handle 18 will vtend to rock as a lever, so that the vpivot 21 would be elevated. 'This causes a tend to force the point 23 and cutting edges 21 and`22 into thefcan top. After the blade has been forced into the can top, the can may be rotated with'the hand until the top is com- -pletely severed. In order'to maintain the blade and handle more nearly in alignment with the circumference of the can, this blade is preferably slightly arcuately curved, as shown more clearly in Figure 3. The point 22 may be conveniently employed in removing bottle caps or for removing can tops that have been depressed into the can and are difficult of access. f

It willv be obvious that a device of this character may' likewise be conveniently employed for punching can tops, the contents of which are to be poured from the can. Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certa-in range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In a can opener of the type described,a standard, means atthe lower end of the standard and coacting therewith for` maintaining a can rim in fixed position with re- ,lationv to the standard during rotation of the slidable upon the standard and when sented With relaion thereto gripping the Standard, n handle having at one end a hand grip and having pivotal engagement with the yoke whereby upward pressure upon the pivotal Connection Causes eenling of the yoke sind a" can top eut-ting knife Carried hy said handle berween the pivot and hand grip thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix lny signature.

SAMUEL B. COOKF, 

